Molding apparatus



J. SCHAUB MOLDING APPARATUS March 6, 1945.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 21, 1940 wmw n IS A BM 07 as .q 0

March 6, 1945. J. scHAUB MOLDING APPARATUS Filed 9012 21, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JACGB SC/WB, 0mm

8y 85 T 7' Y A. SCI-HUB, Executnx 5 ATTORNEY.

i II/5% l March 6, 1945. J. sCHAUB 2,370,920

MOLDING APPARATUS Filed 061. 21, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 VIII/II INVENTOR J21 C 08 56719108, Deceased A BY 61y BE 7 7 ASC/aMl/B Lrecutr/x WA TTORNEY Patented Mar. 6, 1945.

' z 2,370,920 MOLDING APPARATUS Jacob Schaub, deceased, late of Westfield, N. J by Betty A. Schaub, executrix, Westfield, N. J assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Best Foods, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation-of New Jersey Application October 21, 1940, Serial No. 362,175

5 Claims. 401. 99244 This invention relates to apparatus and method for preparing molded congealed products such as margarine, shortening compounds and the like.

In the manufacture of margarine as heretofore practiced, an emulsion of oil and water has'been congealed in a thin film on a chilled roll, the film scraped from the roll and the plastic material thus obtained worked and salted to produce a high quality product having a uniform smooth texture. This product, after working, has been molded in the plastic orsolid condition to the form of blocks of suitable shape and size for retail sale. Such a batch process is lengthy and time consuming.

In view of the number or entirely different operations required by this process, attempts have been made to produce high quality margarine.

products continuously by chilling an emulsion of oil and water until it is super-cooled, and allow- I ing this super-cooled emulsion to solidify, as it moves slowly through a longpchamber. The

solidified material has been extruded directly from this solidifying chamber in the form of a continuous rod or bar that is cut ofi into blocks of the proper size. Such proposals, however, have not been as successful as might be expected, for the reason that the emulsion tends to solidify rapidly'after it has been super-cooled, unless it is maintained in a constant state of agitation. The hardening product in the solidifying chamber has a tendency to solidify in layers or stratify and, in addition, it sets up a high back pressure which requires the'forcing of the liquid emulsion through the cooling chamber under high pressures. As a result, the emulsion hardens in the cooling chamber reducing the size of the passageway for liquid, forming lumps and occasionally blocking completely the passageway to the solidifying chamber.

v One object of this invention is to overcome these difficulties by providing a continuous procass in which super-cooled liquid emulsion orav similar fatty product is flowed continuously and directly into a molding apparatus, and the supercooled liquid is allowed'to solidify and harden in separate molds to produce blocks of theproper size and shape. v

.A further object of .this invention is to provide such a molding apparatus and method whereby greater accuracy can be obtained in the molding of the product to the proper size and weight than has been obtained heretofore in the molding of the solid material. A

Another object is to provide apparatus and method for solidifying a super-cooled liquid emulsion in a plurality of separate molds in such a manner that a continuous stream ofthe liquid can be supplied to the molds successively from a cooling chamber without creating a high back pressure on the cooling chamber.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a cooling chamber connected to molding apparatus with the upper portion of the molding apparatus shown in section. Figure 2 is a plan view of the molding appa ratus taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the apparatus taken on the line 33 of Figure 1. Figure ,4 is a developed verticalsectional view of a portion of the apparatus taken on the arouate line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fractional view of a detail of the apparatus in horizontal section on an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View through the upper portion of the apparatus taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure '7 is a bottom plan view on an enlarged scale of a cutting mechanism taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fractional detail view showing a valve for operating the cutting mechanismand taken on the line 88 of Figure'6.

The molding apparatus of this invention is designed to receive a continuous stream-of a fatty product in the form'of a super-cooled liquid' through the pipe ID from the freezer or other chilling apparatus H. I I, for example, may be the type of freezer illustrated and described in the application of Jacob Schaub, Serial No. 282,019, filed June 30, 1939', or any other suitable type of chilling apparatus for cooling an emulsion ofoil and water below its melting point without allowing the material to solidify.

The molding apparatus comprises a suitable base l2 supporting a centra1column l3 which The chilling apparatus delivering chilled liquid may be attached to the lower wall of the trough member [5 at one side of this opening by means of the flange I8.

Arranged for rotation within the trough-shaped plate I5 is a one-piece mold cavity block l9, provided with radially extending rectangular mold cavities that are widened somewhatatatheir .upper portions,'as shown at 2|. The'lower sides tion in suitable guides 51,48 that are fixed to the of the mold cavities 20 are covered by the lower wall of the trough member l5, except for the mold cavities over the opening I! at any one time. 'These mold cavities 20 are preferably closed at their upper ends exceptz'for the small openings 22. l

Above the mold mockiaanqresnng tnereczi for rotation therewith is a large -gear 'z'ii provided with gear teeth 24 around its outer edge and hav-- ing a solid flange 25a pierced by-the-openings 25 corresponding to the openings 22 in the mold block [9. Above the gear 23 and resting'on'the hub thereof is a rotary guide .plate 26 provided with suitable openings-2'! around its outer edge corresponding to the openings725 and 22.

Plungersor v pistons 28, :to which'are rigidly fixed the rods 29, are arranged in each o'ffthe mold cavities ZQ- for vertical movement, and. are preferably constructed to fit snugly within'the mold cavity openings20. The rods ZQ' project through the openings 22 inthemoId cavity block l9, the openings 25 in the flange of gear- 23, and the openings 2 in thesguide 1 plate 26. Collars 3D-may be adjustably ecured to theirods29jtoj limit upward. movement of the rods andlthirvre-vspective plungers 28. Vertical movement.;.of;'the rods in a downwarddirection may ;similarly-be limited by means of (the adjustably securedlcollars 3| on rods 'zfiwhich strike against the flange 25a of the. gear 23 in .the'lowermost position of the plungers 28; :The upperends of rods 29 may be provided with suitablee rotary cam' fo1lowers'"32, for a purpose to be described.

The gear 2 3, together 7 with'the mold block I l 9, rods- 29, plungers 28 and guideplate'ifi, is ro tated about the column l3oby means of a small spur gear 33 fixed to' the end of the shaft34projecting through the top of bearing I6. Thefteeth of the spur gear 33 mesh withthetee'i'JIfZ i o'nithe 1arge-gear-23.- Shaft 34 may obe .Idrivenibyany suitable means, such-as the speed reduCingAmechanism 35, which in turn is driven from the motor 36 bymeans of the belt 31.

The cam followers: 32 are utilizedfor .discharg ing the molded productgfrom the'moldi cavities 20, and for this purpose a double acting c'amf38l provided with an uppericam surface 39 and a lower cam surface 40 may bei'fixe'd-v to ithe llpper endrof the column 13 by means of the colla'r'fifla;

As the rods 2 G are rotated, the ,camfifollowersifi engage the surface I 39 which forcesithe. rods 12-9 andoplungers 28 progressively downward to dis; charge the molded blocks ll of the product. being treated. The lower surface 40 of the cam pie vents the blocks 4! fromfbeing dischargedtoo ited on a continuouslyinovingibelt.conveyorw42 located just below] theifdischarge astation rdf lthe molding apparatus. a R'eferring to -Fig-ures '1, 15, 7 l and 18,! the canes lower surface ofthe trough member I5; One end :Lo'f the slide 43 may have adjustably secured thereto, as by means of the plate 49 and nuts 50,

arod'fil carrying a piston 52' within the cylinder s53. mir or other fluid medium may be supplied 7. to .the :cylinder ,53 under pressure through the pipes154:or-:55ftoimove the piston 52 and rod 5| together with-slide 43 in one direction or the other.

The-lcut-off mechanism is preferably operated automatically, and for this purpose a valve 56 may be attached to the'under surface of the cam 38ljust above .the notches 51 cut inthering58 thatfislfixedto or formed integral with the. guide pIateIZB. ALs'u'itable follower 59 may bepivotally fsupporteias by means ofthepinfilhon the body of valve "56, .carrying on one end a detent 6| shaped to. enter the notches 51in the rin g58. I A

slidingin'ember'of the svalve' lifi rwliichdirects the flow ofllcompressed air through first one and-then thelother. of the pipes 62, 63 may havea projectinglsectionYMfh'eld' against the follower 59 byla spring orother suitable means inside the valve. Compressed. air may be suppli'ed'from any source (not shown) .to the valve 56 through theft'ube 65.

The position ofth-e valve 56 relative. tolthe cam 38 may be variedbym'eans of the hand screw 616L511; willibe apparent,loi course; thatv pipe'BZ otE-the vralve'B'B is connected to the pip 54 of the cutedfi' mechani'sm,,and that pipe 63' is'connecte'dto pipe '55 of the cut-off mechanism.

"In'th'e operation of I this device for molding margarine, the super-cooled. liquid margarine is dllvered in a continuous stream'frornlthe freezer H. througlithefpipe I'll to lthe inlet station I8.

This liquidis delivered under .justl Sufi'icient 'pressuret'o raise thefplung'ers'28uand rqas'za in the mold cavities 20. The motorf36 is started, and through "the spee'd reducing mechanismi35, mart rs, :gearr3'3' andfligear 23,the moldfflblo'ck f '9; plungersza, rods"29,' guide plate 25' and rin '29 connected thereto until the collar33 strikes against the guide ring 26. By the time'this mold 'cavityzll has beenkcompletel'y 'filled and the plunger and rod raised'tothis point, the'next mold cavity 2ll'is partly over the inlet opening from the pipe [0, as showne in Fig. 5, and the super-cooled liquid thusrea'dilyflows into the next mold i cavity '23. 'Iihe .Imold '.J'u'st I filled )con- .tinues itovrot'ate around the machine and the 7 liquid emulsionin the mold cavity 20 gradually solidifiestoflfor m ra solid block therein. 1 fjThe "spe'e'dbf the machine, .of course; 'isrprefe rably regulated so that the liquid in the moia e vrties hassufiicient timeto solidifyin'the'form of a. solid block; jbeforereaching the discharge statron. a

'As theTfilled mold cavity completes about .lthle jqualftlts or a revolution or slightlymore after beingfilled, it' reaches "a point above one side .od the open space I! in the troughiinenibe'r As ajgiven .mold cavity approaches the As'the block reaches this lowermost position, one.

of the notches 'l-is brought into ialin'ement with the detent 6| on the follower 59 of the valve56, and this follower drops a sufficient distance to permit compressed air to be discharged through the pipe 62 to the pipe 54. This in turn forces the slide 43 forward in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mold block 19, and the wire 45 cuts oil the hanging block 4| of margarine so that it drops onto the conveyor belt 42.

The apparatus is preferably adjusted so that a small amount of margarine is left on the lower surface of the plunger 28, and this small amount of solidified margarine is simply carried around and around with the apparatus.

By reason of the sharp inclining of one side of the detent BI and of the corresponding sides of notches 51, the follower 59 is promptly raised as the mold ,block continues rotation, and the compressed air through pipe 62 is cut off and directed through the pipe 63. This, in turn, is transmitted to the pipe 55 which withdraws the slide 43 and cutting wire 45 into position for the next cut-off operation.

It has been found that this molding apparatus and method is particularly efiective for use in combination with a device for super-cooling a continuous stream of a fatty product such as margarine because it makes it possible to keep the super-cooled product in constant motion under less pressure and thus reduces the tendency towards premature hardening. In addition, this invention eliminates the solidification of the liquid in layers or stratification and the other difllculties associated with the use of a long chamber for olidification.

A further advantage of this molding apparatus and method is the closer, control and greater accuracy in the size and weight of the molded blocks that can be obtained. By feeding the material into the molds in the form of a supercooled liquid, instead of as a solid material, the

molded product obtained is more homogeneous and compact, and each mold is completely filled without air voids.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and scope of the invention claimed.

. What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for'molding congealed products comprising a plurality of molds arranged in a closed path, plungers in said molds, means for feeding a continuous stream of a liquid chilled j I below its melting point into said molds to raise the plungers therein, and adjustable means for. limiting the extent to which said plungers are raised by said liquid.

2. Apparatus for molding congealed edible fatty products comprising a rotary mold block having a plurality of mold cavities formed therein open ,on their lower sides, a fixed plate covering the openings of at least certain'of said mold cavities, movable plungers in said cavities, means for.

limiting the upward movement of said plungers,

means for feeding liquid to be congealed into said cavities while they are over, said plate and thereby raise said'plungers, and means for operating said plungers to eject congealed blocks from said" mold cavities.

3. Apparatus for preparing molded blocks, of

congealed fatty material comprising in combination means for chilling a continuous stream of liquid fatty material to a temperature below its melting point without allowing said material to I harden,a plurality of molds, means for feeding said stream of chilled liquid under pressure successively into said molds, and means for discharging congealed blocks of said material from said I ejector plungers in said molds arranged to be raised by the flow of such liquid into the molds.

5. Apparatus for making molded blocks of congealed fatty material comprising in combination means for chilling liquid fatty material-to a temperature below its melting point without allowing the material to congeal, a mold block having aplurality of mold cavities therein, means for feeding a stream of super-cooled material from said chilling means to successive mold cavities without interrupting the flow'of said stream, and ejector plungers in said cavities arranged to be raised a predetermined distance by the flow of:

said material into said mold cavities.

BETTY A. SCHAUB," Executria: of theLast Will and Testament of Jacob Schaub, Deceased.

described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the 

